Nagpur Metro's Kanhan Town extension gets Maharashtra cabinet approval

The Maharashtra cabinets infrastructure subcommittee has approved a proposal to extend the PhaseII North Corridor of the Nagpur Metro from the Kanhan River to Kanhan town a move aimed at improving public transport connectivity for thousands of commuters in Nagpur district and nearby areasThe project involves the construction of a 14km elevated metro corridor at an estimated cost of Rs 31035 crore The extension will be implemented by the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited MahaMetroThe proposal received approval from the infrastructure subcommittee headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during its meeting on ThursdayExtension to include new elevated stationAccording to an official release the extension will feature a new elevated metro station at Kanhan townThe project forms part of the PhaseII expansion of the Nagpur Metro network and is expected to improve accessibility for residents travelling between Kanhan and NagpurOfficials said the extension has been planned to strengthen public transport infrastructure in the rapidly developing northern outskirts of the cityProject expected to benefit surrounding areasThe proposal noted that Kanhan has a population of around 35000 with an estimated 5000 to 6000 people travelling to and from Nagpur every dayIn addition to Kanhan the extended metro corridor is expected to improve connectivity for several nearby locations including Ramtek Tekdi Kandri Mines Nagardhan Gondegaon Mines and the Mauda Super Thermal Power ProjectThe government expects the improved transport link to enhance commuting options for residents workers and students in these areasAdditional 20000 passengers expected to benefitAccording to the official release the extension is projected to serve nearly 20000 additional passengers every day after it becomes operationalThe government expects the project to reduce travel time encourage greater use of public transport and support economic activity in the surrounding region by improving access to employment centres and industrial areasThe expansion is also expected to strengthen the overall Nagpur Metro network by extending railbased connectivity beyond the existing PhaseII alignmentFunding to come from Centre state and multilateral agenciesThe project will be financed through a combination of equity contributions subordinate debt and concessional loansAccording to the official release the Central Government and the Maharashtra Government will each contribute Rs 3988 crore as equityBoth governments will also provide interestfree subordinate debt as part of the financing structureIn addition approximately Rs 15518 crore will be raised through concessional multilateral loansWith inputs from PTI